Mechanical toy high diving apparatus



y 2 A. B. CARMlCHAEL, SR I 2,402,949

MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 25, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheetl Jive/#01 fix: 3. Carmichael, Jr.

July 2,1946. A. BQCARMICHAEL, sh 2,402,949

MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 23, 1945 ZSh eetS-Sheet2 v Jvefifar I visa 6; Carmicfiqel, Jr.

Patentecl July 2, 1946 MECHANICAL TOY HIGH DIVING APPARATUS Asa B.Carmichael, Sr., Tujunga, Calif.

Application November 23, 1945, Serial No. 630,194

This invention relates to a mechanical toy diving apparatus and moreparticularly to a highdiving apparatus in which the toys dive freelyunder the influence of gravity.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved mechanical toydiving apparatus in which the toys dive free of the apparatus insimulation of high diving and in which the diving cycle is repeatedautomatically.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanicaltoy diving apparatus in which toy devices dive free of the apparatusinto a water tank and from which the toy divers are mechanicallyconveyed to the diving board to repeat the cycle.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an improvedmechanical toy high-diving apparatus in which the toy divers areconveyed to the diving position while upright and in which the diversdive head first free of the apparatus into a water tank from which thetoy divers are then automatically conveyed to repeat the cycle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanical toyhigh-diving apparatu in which the toy is carried by belt conveyorsthrough magnetic attraction to the diving position and in which thedivers are weighted so that they will fall head first into the water andbe reconveyed to the diving position in an upright stance.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an automatic toyhigh-diving apparatus in which the toys are magnetized and are conveyedto the diving board by belt'conveyors and in which the toys are providedwith cavities containing metallic mercury so that the toys will divehead first under the influence of gravity and be reconveyed in uprightposition to the diving board to repeat the cycle.

Other objects of this invention will appear from the followingspecification and claims and from the accompanying drawings illustratingthe invention:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with part of the side wall cut awayto show the construction;

Figure 2 is a plan view of part of the apparatus taken on line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of part of the apparatus showingthe diving position;

Figure 4 is a sectional detail through one of the conveyor beltsupporting rollers and showing the belt construction; and

Figure 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, showing theconstruction of the toy diver.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1 and 2,numerals l, 2, 3, 4, 5

8 Claims. (01. 46-130) and 6 constitute structural frame members betweenthe side walls I and forming a structural core for supporting the wholeupright structure. The side walls have been removed from Figure 1 tomore clearly show the construction. Extending through the walls 1 is adrive shaft 3 on one end of which is mounted a powerful clocktype spring9 of conventional construction which is Wound by the key ll] forrotating the shaft 8 counterclockwise, when viewed from Figure 1. At Hand i2 stufiing boxes are provided to prevent water from leaking fromtank I3 which is formed by the lower portions of side walls I and thefront and rear walls 14 and [5, respectively.

Mounted on shaft 8 is the main power roller l6 which drives the mainendless conveyor belt l1, passing thereover. Pulley [8 also mounted onshaft 8, drives pulley IS in a clockwise direction, through the crosseddrive belt 20. The pulley I9 is fixed to a shaft 2|, journaled in sidemembers 22 (Figure 2), the shaft 2| supporting the roller 23 forclockwise rotation. The roller 23 carries one end of conveyor belt 24,the other end of which is supported .by the roller 25 journaled in theupper ends of members 22.

The shaft 8 is further provided with pairs of rings 26, 21 and 28 inwhich the shaft 8 freely rotates. The rings 26, 21 and 28 carry bars 29,30 and 3|, respectively, for supporting idler rollers32, 33 and 34,respectively, which guide conveyor belt I! in the proper path. The bars35 assist in supporting the rollers 32 and 33. The upper end of theapparatus is provided with roller 36 rotating counterclockwise, roller38 rotating counter-clockwise, and roller 31 rotating clockwise forguiding conveyor belt H, as shown in Figure 1. These rollers aresuitably journaled in the frame members 4 and 5. The roller 36 isprovided with a gear 39 meshing with a gear 40 on roller 31 and the bars4| are provided to keep the rollers 36 and 31 in proper relationship.The opposite end of roller 31 is provided with a sprocket 42 having achain 43 for driving sprocket :44 fixed on one end of roller 45 fordriving the auxiliary endless conveyor belt 46 clockwise. The roller 45is suitably journaled in frame member 2, and bars 41 connected to framemember I serve to strengthen the structural core. Endless conveyor belt46 passes over idler rollers 48, 49 and 50 and the bars 5| and 52further serve to steady the rollers and the structural core at the topof the apparatus.

The belts H, 7.4 and 46 are provided with steel cleats 53 at spacedregular intervals. Chrome steel is used so that the cleats will berust-resistis to be noted that the diver is entirely free from theremainder of the apparatus during the dive and is held to the cleats bymagnetism 'duringl the return trip to the diving board.

The conveyor belt 24 is located adjacent the bottom of a box-shapedtrough having a bottom 55 and perpendicular side walls 22.'Theperp'endicular side walls 22 are carried up a short dis-- tance andmerge into diverging walls 56 extending .to the topof theside walls ofthe tank. At the rear of thetank, a floor and wall structure 57 isprovided, spaced from the conveyor belt I! to form a channelwaytherewithfor the return passage of the diver, as shown in Figure 1. Thefloor and wall structure5'l is suitably supported by struts 5 8. All ofthe materials in the tank, under the water level are made ofrust-resistant quality to prolong the life of the apparatus.

As can be seen in FigureS 1 and 5, the "chrome steel diver has a pivotedshoulderjoint at 59 so that the arms will be free to turn from a sideposition to aposition extending above the head. A cavity 60 in theposterior part of the head and a cavity 61 in the arms are partiallyfilled with metallic mercury or quick-silver so that when the diver tipsoff the diving board the mercury stays inthe lower part of the arms tocause them to extend downwardly duringthe dive, as shown in Figurel. Asseen in Figure 1, the horizontal portions of conveyors l1 and 46 arespaced apart a distance equal to the height of the diver, and, the lowerconveyor I! extends slightly beyond the upper conveyor 46. Thus themagnetized diveris conveyed along anupright position, the feet beingheld by one of the metallic cleats on conveyor I! andthe head being heldby one of the metallic cleats on the conveyor 46. When the diver reachesthe diving position, .the upper conveyor 46 is disengaged from thedivers head and the diver will tend to fall forward while the feet arestill held by the lower conveyor, The mercury inthe diver assists inthefalling operation and causes a head-first dive. Since the mercury isin the posterior part of" the head, there will be a tendency for thediver to turn on,his back when he strikes the water we reachestheconveyor belt 24. If the diver should happen to land on conveyor 24on his stomach, he will reach the diving board backwardly and result ina backward dive. This will lend diversity to the diving and will not bea, disadvantage. Even if the diver is conveyed sidewise, a side divewill appear as another of the divers tricks. A stout spiral spring 62 isprovided at a point under the divers belt so that he may bendsufiiciently to negotiate the curved portion 63 of the lower part of thereturn passageway, as shown in Figure 1.

In eration, starting at position A, in Figure 1, on conveyor 24, thediver 54 is moved downwardly under conveyor belt H to become attached tothe metallic cleats 53 on belt l! by magnetism. The diver is carriedthrough position B and thence upwardly to position C, where cleats 53 onconveyor belt 45 assist in conveying the diver up wardly. Conveyors l1and 4B, acting together,

then carry the diver in an upright position horizontally to the divingposition D where the conveyor 4'6 disengages first from the diver andthen conveyor l1 disengages. The magnetism in the toy diver is slightenough to permit disengagement to take place, Then the dive occurs asshown by position E and the diver strikes the water and floats down ontoconveyor 24 and the cycle is repeated. The power spring 9 may be rewoundat'intervals to provide continuous operation.

While a certain specific embodiment of this in- ';vention has been shownit will be understood that various modifications may be made within thespirit of the invention. Therefore, no limitations on the invention areintended other than are imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A toy high-divingapparatus comprising a diver, a water tank, andconveyormechanism in said water tank and extending upwardly and oversaid tank for conveying said diver in an upright stance to a high-divingposition over said tank, said conveyor mechanism being constructed andarranged to disengage from the diver in the diving position to permitsaid diver to fall freely under the influence of gravity into said tankin simulation of a high dive and to repeat the cycle.

2. A toy highdiving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diveris magnetized and said conveyor mechanism is provided with metalliccleats to hold said diver by magnetic attraction during conveyance tothe diving position.

3. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diveris magnetized and said conveyor mechanism comprises a series ofendlessbelts, said belts being provided with metallic cleats, and a pair ofsaid belts including vertically spaced horizontal runs over said tankwhereby said diver is held in an upright stance between said horizontalruns and conveyed to the diving position. I

4. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said diverismagnetized, said conveyor mechanism is constructed to metal forcarrying the diver to diving position, and said diver includes mercurycontaining cavities for directing the diver in a head-first dive witharms extended. 7' p 5'. A toy high-diving apparatus comprising a diver,a water tank, a chute in said tank, a first belt conveyor in the bottomof said chute, a second belt conveyor having a lower horizontal run insaid tank, a vertical run, and an upper horizontal run over said tank, athird belt conveyor having a vertical run and a horizontal run, saidvertical runs being partially coextensive and said horizontal runs beingvertically spaced from each other a distance equal to the height of saiddiver, and means for driving said conveyors whereby said diver isconveyed successively by said first conveyor, the horizontal run of saidsecond conveyor, the vertical runs of said second and third conveyors,and the horizontal runs of said second and third conveyors.

6. A toy high-diving apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein said diveris magnetized and said belt conveyors are provided with metallic cleatsto hold said diver by magnetic attraction during conveyance.

7. A toy high-divingapparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the upperhorizontal run of the second conveyor extends beyond the horizontal runof the third conveyor and constitutes a diving board, and wherein saiddiver contains mercuryis held and conveyed in an upright stance be- 10tween s'aid horizontal runs, the feet of the diver engaging the upperhorizontal run of the second conveyor and the head of the diver engagingthe horizontal run of the third conveyor, and whereby the head of thediver is disengaged from the horizontal run of the third conveyorcausing the diver to tilt forward and fall freely in simulation of ahigh-dive from the diving board.

ASA B. CARMICHAEL, SR.

